Thursday, March 13, 2014

NOT Fiber Related... but Important to me...

Most people don't know all that much about me... although when I meet you, I tend to tell my whole life's story, lol.

In about 2003, my stepfather, Scot, started G&G Electric Service, Inc... We only work on cell phone towers around the state of Florida, and sometimes into Georgia... that being said, when he passed away in 2009, my mom ended up taking over the company and I moved back home to help her.

Mom and Scot introduced me to Aaron, who had been one of their employees since 2005, in October of 2008... He does not climb the towers... none of our guys do... but a lot of the guys who work with them on cell sites are climbers.

Last year, the industry (cell phones) lost 13 people to falls... Safety is becoming more of a concern, as it should be... No only is there danger in climbing though... when the guys are working on the towers, sometimes things fall... tools, propane tanks, etc.

Most people do not understand the risk that is involved so that we all have our precious cell phones... Tomorrow night, Friday, March 14th at 11pm, Discovery Channel is premiering a show called "Hang Men"... They filmed a tower crew as they did their daily jobs...

My hope is that they have accurately portrayed this industry and not made a joke out of it like NBC did a few years back...

Here is a description of the show... I am planning on watching, just because it effects me on a day to day basis... I trust that Aaron and the guys (including both of my brothers) are safe on the job sites... but there is never a guarantee...

Hang Men docudrama will put tower work’s dangers back in the spotlight on FridayMarch 12, 2014 – NBC’s Tower Dogs, Frontline’s Cell Tower Deaths and Mike Rowe’s Dirty Jobs took the tower construction industry out of the shadows, but the profession will be cast in a brighter spotlight on Friday, March 14, 2014 at 11:00 p.m. eastern when Hang Men, an original presentation on the Discovery Channel, showcases the heroic work of the industry's men and women who build and maintain America's communications networks.Whereas many programs are discussed in social and other media months before their air date, Hang Men took the industry by surprise when the Discovery Channel announced the one-hour program yesterday afternoon with its promotional tag: “On Hang Men, tensions run high for John Paleski and his crew. Fighting tight deadlines and a slew of setbacks, it’s a battle with gravity to complete two risky antenna installations.”

The program will be repeated again on Saturday at 2:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. eastern.

A casual look at the promotional trailer suggests that the five-man Tower & Wireless Construction Co. crew, a subsidiary of Old Bridge, N.J.-based SubCarrier Communications, was struggling with two near accidents while they were installing an antenna.

"But this needs to be viewed within the context of the full pilot," said John Paleski, President of SubCarrier.

“In one scene of the trailer, a pipe mount fell off of a tower while my men were rigging it. What my crew couldn’t have known is that a crew from another company was going to remove the antenna mount and just left it hanging loose in its U-bolts and it fell, almost hitting a ground man as it smashed into a transmitter cabinet,” said Paleski, who is oftentimes frustrated when an incompetent crew is hired by a tenant to work on any of the 320 towers he owns.

“The fact is that we're working in one of the deadliest professions in the world, and it's important that even laypeople, who may tune in for the entertainment value of the program, will recognize that the men and women involved are highly trained professionals who value safety above all else in this mentally and physically demanding field," said Paleski.

Paleski, who hasn’t seen the program produced by Electus, said he believes that it will be a positive piece for the industry without any contrived footage.

“All wireless workers should be appreciated for the work they do. Not enough people know about the dedicated men and women whose daily efforts allow them to talk and stream on their 4G phones. They have no idea how it works. And without tower workers installing and maintaining these sites, the thing they carry around in their pocket would be nothing more than an expensive paperweight with a two-year contract,” Paleski said.

The title, Hang Men, was selected by the Discovery Channel, according to Paleski.

Paleski graduated from Rutgers University with a degree in economics. He began climbing in 1986 and appears in Hang Men. But it’s not a cameo appearance.

“I often climb with my men because I don’t ever want them to do a job that I couldn’t safely do myself.”

Paleski readily admits that when he first started climbing he only used a lanyard and a lineman’s belt. “For many years, before it became a popular industry catch-phrase, we’ve been committed to 100% tie-off at all times.”

The program was filmed in Linden, N.J. and Harrisburg, Pa.

Paleski is excited to have the public enjoy additional episodes of Hang Men in the near future.

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About Me

Mom of twin boys... They are four at the moment and always getting into everything :) Inbetween work, kids, and animals, I try and find time to be creative... Right now I am really loving processing fleece. I have been getting fleece from different farms all over the country (and some overseas)... I then wash everything in my home, dye, and process it into roving, batts, or handspun yarn :)